Mail-bag deliverer and receiver.



PATENTED JULY '7, 1908.

B. COHEN.

MAIL BAG DELIVERER AND RECEIVER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.15,1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

mil/7111711171] fill/l6 E w th Lewes v PATENTED JULY '7, 1908.

B. COHEN.

MAIL BAG DELIVERER AND RECEIVER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

79 wi limooeo UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

BENJAMIN COHEN, OF BUTTE, MONTANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM WEAR, OF

' BUTTE, MONTANA.

MAIL-BAG DELIVERER AND RECEIVER.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN COHEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Butte, in the county of Silver Bow and State of Montana, have invented a new and useful Mail-Bag Deliverer and Receiver, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in mail bag deliverers and receivers.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of mail bag deliverers and receivers, more especially the means for delivering a mail bag from a mail car to a mail train at the side of the track, and to provide a simple and comparatively inexpensive apparatus adapted to be reversed to arrange it for trains running in either direction.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mail bag catcher adapted to remove a mail bag from a mail car, and capable of being automatically swung out of the way by j the mail bag after the same is clear of the mail car.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings :Figu re 1 is a side elevation partly in section of a mail bag deliverer and receiver, constructed in accordance with this invention Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same partlyin section. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the mail crane. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of the mail bag holder. Fig. 5 is a side elevation partly in section, showing the outer portion of the mail bag support. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view, illustrating the construction of the pivoted ring holder.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates the post of a crane, the upper broken away portion of which is designed in practice to be equipped with any ordinary mail bag holding device for delivering a mail bag to a mail car. As such devices are of the Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 15, 1908.

Patented July '7, 1908.

Serial No. 410,951.

ordinary construction and do not constitute a portion of the present invention, illustration thereof is deemed unnecessary. The post or upright, which is preferably constructed of tubular metal, is provided at its lower end with lugs 2 and is secured by bolts 3, or other suitable fastening devices upona cement base 4, but it may be mounted in any other preferred manner, as will be readily understood.

The post or upright is provided at a point intermediate of its ends with horizontally projecting arms 5, arranged in parallelism with the track and preferably consisting of a bar, centrally secured to the post or upright in a recess 6 thereof, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. Projecting centrally from the horizontal bar of the post or upright is a horizontal ear 7 to which is hinged an arm 8 of a mail bag catcher. The arm 8 is preferably bifurcated and is pierced by a vertical pivot bolt 9, which also passes through the ear 7. This permits the mail bag catcher to swing horizontally from one side of the crane to the other to arrange it for removing mail bags from trains running in either direction, as hereinafter more fully explained.

The mail bag catcher consists of a hookshaped engaging arm 8 and a loop 10 connecting the hoolvshaped engaging arm with the horizontal arm 8. The loop 10, which is approximately U-shaped, has one of its sides integral with and forming a continuation of the inner portion of the hook-shaped engaging arm 8. The other side of the loop is arranged at right angles to the horizontally swinging arm. The horizontally swinging arm is composed of two sections or members and is provided with a right and left hand threaded coupling 11, which performs two functions. It provides a pivoted connection between the horizontal arm and the hookshaped engaging arm, and it also serves to tighten the parts to maintain the hookshaped engaging arm in position for engaging the ring 12 of a mail bag 13. The pivotal connection permits the hook-shaped arm 8 to swing upwardly and downwardly, its

mail bag catcher, so that the latter may be arranged in proper position for engaging the ring 12, and the coupling 11 is adapted to be screwed sufiiciently tight to retain the mail bag catcher in position for engaging the said ring.

Each mail car is equipped with a foldable mail bag support, consisting of a bottom 15 and sides 16, connected at their lower edges with the bottom by hinges 17, which permit the sides to fold inwardly so that the mail bag support vmay be compactly arranged when not in use. The mail bag 13 is placed upon the support between the sides thereof. The bottom 15 of the support projects beyond the sides at the outer or delivery end of the support, and it is provided with a pivoted ring holder 18, preferably consisting of a segmental plate and provided with a dovetailed groove 19, receiving a dove-tailed slide 20 of the ring. The holder 18 is pivoted to the bottom of the mail bag support by means of a vertical bolt 18 or other suitable fastening device. The dove-tailed slide 20 forms a base for the ring and has an eye 21, which forms a convenient means for connecting the ring to the mail bag.

I/Vhen the mail bag catcher is set for operation, the hooked-shaped engaging arm is arranged in the path of the ring, which is lo cated beyond the side of the car 22, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. The car traveling in the direc tion of the arrow 23, in Fig. 2 of the drawings, carries the ring 12 into engagement with the relatively fixed hook-shaped arm of the mail bag catcher, and the bag is pulled from the car, the movement of the car causing a partial rotary movement of the ring holder and permitting the slide to be readily withdrawn from the groove 19. The weight of the bag causes it to slide down the mail bag holder, which is set in an inclined position, and the sliding of the bag down the outer side of the loop 10 swings the mail bag catcher upward from an inclined to a vertical position so as to arrange it out of the way. This results from the arrangement of the mail bag engaging arm and the loop with relation to the horizontal pivoted arm, the hook-shaped arm and the loop being extended in opposite directions from the said pivoted arm. The mail bag catcher, when arranged in a vertical position, is adapted to be swung from one side of the crane to the other, as illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is z 1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a foldable mail bag support composed of a bottom and hinged sides, the 1 bottom being provided with means for holdmg the ring of a mail bag, and a mail bag catcher for engaging the ring.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a mail bag support composed of a bottom and sides, the bottom being extended beyond the sides and provided at such extended portion with means for holding the ring of a mail bag, and a mail bag cat cher having means for engaging the ring.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination with a mail bag catcher, of a mail bag support, a holder pivotally mounted on the support and having a way, and a mail bag ring slidable in the way and arranged to be engaged by the mail bag catcher.

1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a mail bag catcher, of a mail bag support, a pivoted holder mounted on the support and provided with a dovetailed groove, and a mail bag ring provided with a dove-tailed slide detachably fitted in the groove.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a support, of a reversible mail bag catcher including a hinged horizontally swinging arm, and a vertically swinging mail bag engaging arm carried by the horizontally swinging arm.

6. I11 a device of the class described, the combination with a support, of a mail bag catcher including a horizontal arm hinged to the support and arranged to swing horizontally from one side of the same to the other side thereof, a mail bag engaging arm carried by the horizontally swinging arm, and a mail bag receiving loop connected with the mail bag engaging arm.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination with a support, of a reversible mail bag catcher including a horizontal arm hinged to the support and arranged to swing horizontally from one side of the same to the other side thereof, a mail bag engaging arm carried by and extending in one direction from the horizontally swinging arm, and a mail bag receiving loop extending in the opposite direction from the horizontal arm and connecting the same and the mail bag engaging arm.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination with a support, of a reversible mail bag catcher including a horizontally swinging arm, a substantially hook-shaped mail bag engaging arm arranged at right angles to the horizontally swinging arm, a mail bag receiving loop connecting the said arms and forming a continuation of the mail bag receiving arm, and means carried by the horizontal arm for permitting the mail bag engaging arm and the loop to swing vertically.

9. In a device of the class described, the

combination with a support, of a mail bag of the ends of the mail bag catcher and composed of two sections or members, and a coupling pivotally connecting the sections or members to permit the mail bag engaging arm and the loop to swing vertically.

10. In a device of the class described, the combination with a support, of a mail bag catcher including a mail bag engaging arm, a mail bag receiving loop extending from the said arm and forming a continuation of the same, and a horizontally swinging arm connected with the loop at a'point intermediate of the ends of the mail bag catcher and composed of two sections or members having right and left hand threaded couplings engaging the threaded portions and "forming a pivotal connection to permit the mail bag engaging arm and the loop to swing vertieally.

11. In a device of the class described, the combination with a post having opposite arms, of a reversible mail bag catcher provided with a horizontally swinging arm hinger'l at the inner ends of the said arms and adapted to swing from one side of the post to the other and provided with means for pivotally mounting the mail bag catcher to permit the same to swing vertically, and means mounted on the arms of the post for limiting the pivotal movement of the mail bag catcher.

12. In a device of the class described, the combination with a post provided with opposite arms, of a mail bag catcher including a horizontally swinging arm having a pivot joint and hinged at the inner ends of the said arms, a mail bag receiving loop connected with and extending from the horizontally swinging arm at an angle to the same, a mail bag ongaging arm extending 'lrom one of the sides of the loop, and means carried by the arms of the post and arranged to be engaged by the 100 for limiting the pivotal action of the mail bag catcher.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto a'llixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN (JOIIEN. ,IVitnesses:

J P. CALLAN, J. A. CLIFFORD. 

